Cannot unlink onedrive from my PC

Denis Jones 0 Reputation points
2026-09-28T19:23:25.6533333+00:00

I am trying to unlink onedrive from my pc. The onedrive icon is not showing and it is not listed in apps so therefore the advice offered online cannot be implemented, a diffrent language is appearing in some o the messages.

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | Other | Windows
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  1. EmilyS726 270.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-28T19:56:22.31+00:00

    Please type regedit in the search on the taskbar to launch registry editor, and go to this path, then take a screenshot and share in your reply.

    Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
    

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  2. AI answer

    2026-09-28T19:23:41.75+00:00

    If the OneDrive icon is missing and OneDrive is not listed in Apps, OneDrive may still be built into Windows or not currently running.

    Try this in order:

    1. Start OneDrive manually.
      • Open Start.
      • Type OneDrive.
      • Select OneDrive from the results.
      • If the icon was just hidden, select the Show hidden icons arrow in the taskbar notification area.
    2. Unlink the PC from OneDrive.
      • Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the notification area.
      • Select Help & Settings > Settings.
      • Open the Account tab.
      • Select Unlink this PC > Unlink account.
    3. If sign-in or language-related prompts seem wrong, clear OneDrive sign-in data.
      • Press Windows key + R.
      • Enter %localappdata%\Microsoft\OneDrive\settings and select OK.
      • Delete PreSignInSettingsConfig.json.
      • Then start OneDrive again and sign in if prompted.
    4. Also remove cached OneDrive credentials.
      • Open Start.
      • Type credentials.
      • Open Credential Manager.
      • Select Windows Credentials.
      • Under Generic Credentials, remove entries containing OneDrive Cached Credentials.
    5. If the goal is only to stop using OneDrive, hiding it is also supported even when uninstall is not available.
      • In File Explorer, right-click OneDrive > Properties.
      • On the General tab, check Hidden.
      • Then open the OneDrive menu and select Quit OneDrive.

    Important:

    • Unlinking OneDrive does not delete files or data. Local folders are only disconnected from the cloud temporarily.
    • If OneDrive is syncing, wait for sync to finish or pause sync before unlinking.
    • Some versions of Windows cannot uninstall OneDrive, so unlinking or hiding it is the supported approach.

    If OneDrive still cannot be opened or unlinked, use Contact Microsoft Support for personal accounts, or contact the organization IT helpdesk for work or school accounts.


    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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